A heavy hail storm on Thursday hit Kabarole district destroying crop gardens, plantation and houses worth millions of shillings, leaving over 120 farmers stranded.
The most affected areas are Kanyamakerre parish in Busoro Sub County and Bugunda ward in East division, Fort Portal municipality.
The storm that started at around 1:00pm lasted for four hours and destroyed acres of banana plantations, gardens of tomatoes, beans, and cassava among other food crops.
According to Dadda Bintabara, a resident of Kanyamakerre in Busoro, the iron sheets on his house were blown away by strong winds, his three-acre banana plantation, beans and cassava plantations were completely destroyed.
Bintabara says that banana and cassava growing are the main sources of his income and tuition for his three children in secondary school. He is now worried where to get school fees.
Bintabara reveals that 103 people including NAADS farmers have lost all their gardens and plantations in the Thursday afternoon storm.
John Kasaija, a resident of Bugunda in East division says his five roomed house was de-roofed by the storm and his two acre banana plantation and cassava garden also razed to the ground. Kasaija says 20 farmers in East division have been affected by the heavy rains.
Gracious Nyesiga, a NAADS farmer says he has lost two acres of banana and cassava plantation. He says all the residents in the area had resorted to cassava growing following the high demand for cassava flour in the town, Kampala and markets in the Southern Sudan.
The residents are appealing to the district leadership and Fort Portal municipality to extend relief aid to the victims.
When contacted, Willy Magezi Mapapa, the LC3 chairman for South division Fort Portal said he has moved in the affected villages to assess the magnitude and impact of the disaster.
Magezi, together with his Busoro sub county counterpart, John Kumwe Kusemererwa, said that after visiting the areas, they will make a comprehensive report about the victims, gardens and houses destroyed to submit to the disaster ministry appealing for aid.
